Hood River News

By ADAM LAPIERRE

News staff writer

March 22, 2006

Cascade Locks High School senior and standout athlete Sam Thomas tormented the Horizon Hawks on the court this year during the recently concluded basketball season. The Pirates went undefeated against the Hawks this year, with the help of, among others, Thomas, Peter Holmstrom and Nathan Stratton for the boys and Robin Cook for the girls. And now the four, along with Pirate Ricky Telfer, have joined forces with the Hawks. For the spring season, at least, they are friends instead of foes; they are teammates instead of rivals; they are compadres on the course instead of rivals on the court.

The five Cascade Locks athletes, along with 13 from Horizon, make up this spring’s Horizon boys’ and girls golf teams, which is a dramatic increase in size from last year’s six-guy and three-girl squad. In only its second year of action, the team has more than doubled in size, while bridging the gap between the valley and Hood River’s black and white striped neighbors to the west.

“It’s fantastic to be able to do this with Cascade Locks,” said the team’s coach, Oscar Stenberg. “It’s cool to see the positive attitudes of the kids. There are no hard feelings and the team unity is genuine. And that is what sports are all about.”

The team drove into the season Friday morning at Arlington’s China Creek Golf Course against nine other teams from around the region. Highlighting the tournament results is junior Stephen Stenberg’s 84-stroke performance, which placed him seventh overall. As a team, the boys finished fifth of nine and the girls third of three, which draws attention to what Stenberg notes as the theme for the team this season.

“It’s a growing year for us,” he said. “Many of our golfers have never competed in the sport before so we’re working hard on building and refining our game.”

And the team, along with the Hood River Valley High School boys’ and girls’ teams, have the opportunity to work on their games this season thanks, in large part, to the generosity of Hood River’s two local golf courses.

Indian Creek Golf Course and Hood River Golf and Country Club are allowing the two schools to use their courses for free this season.

“We’re very thankful for the courses helping the teams out,” Stenberg said. “Everyone is working together for the betterment of the kids.”

China Creek results:

Boys (5th of 9) —

Stephen Stenberg 84

Nathan Stratton 96

Sam Thomas 105

Cameron Root 106

Josh Boyden 110

Girls (3rd of 3) —

Christine Borton 120

Hannah Wesner 132

Christina Brown 136

Liz Taylor 136

2006 Horizon golf team

Boys:

David Rovianek

Philip Stenberg

Stephen Boyden

Sam Thomas

Peter Holmstrom

Jake Johnson

John Watson

Ricky Telfer

Nathan Stratton

Cameron Root

Casey Root

Sam Sullivan

Nathan Johnson

Sammy Sullivan

Girls:

Hannah Wesner

Robin Cook

Christina Brown

Christine Borton